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Arsenal's European dream came to an end in dramatic style on Tuesday night.

3-1 down from the first leg, Arsene Wenger's men battled to a 2-0 victory on the night but were unable to find the goal that would have taken them to the quarter-finals.

Here are six things we learnt:

1. You could have written the script before the game

We've seen this movie before.

Arsenal, so disappointing at home in the first leg, travel over the channel with hopes of snatching progress from the jaws of elimination. There's a first-half goal to inspire thoughts of a Great Comeback, a lull during which the momentum fades and then a late rally.

The Gunners always make just enough of a game of it to stave off talk of a crisis, but never enough to actually go through. For supporters and staff alike, it must be the most galling of Groundhog Days.

2. Aaron Ramsey proved a point

Had he been fully fit and at the height of his powers, you imagine the Welshman would have been in Arsene Wenger's starting XI for such an important tie. Few players carry such a constant goal threat from midfield, meaning Ramsey at his best is a useful counterpoint to Arsenal's occasional tendency to over-elaborate.

Having started – and scored – in the win over West Ham, however, the 24-year-old was dropped to the bench to make room for Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard has done well in a deeper midfield role this term, but Ramsey must have been bitterly disappointed to miss out... and surely proved his point with the strike that set up a grand finale.

Instant impact: Ramsey came off the bench to make it 2-0 (Photo: Reuters)

3. Layvin Kurzawa is a real prospect

The Monaco left-back – reportedly a transfer target for Manchester City, among others – ran through his repertoire in impressive fashion at Stade Louis II. Kurzawa was his side's most reliable outlet in the opening stages, flying down the left time and again to give Hector Bellerin plenty to think about. His delivery, too, was crisp and unerring.

At 22, he looks like the successor to Patrice Evra and Gael Clichy for his country... and looks likely to be pitching up at a bigger club sooner rather than later.

4. The spirit of sharing is alive and well

Swapping shirts at half-time? How very charitable.

5. The away goals rule confounds some footballers

Some pretty undench maths here:

6. Olivier Giroud is criminally underrated

It looked early on like the Frenchman would be in for a nightmare evening of the kind he endured in the first leg. His first few contributions were far from convincing, drawing a few groans of disapproval from the Arsenal fans who had made the trip to the principality.

But Giroud has been in fine fettle of late and came to the party with the goal that set the tie alight, firing home emphatically after the ball broke loose. He may still have more than his fair share of doubters, but 12 goals in his last 17 games have underlined his enduring class.

When you add in those silky lay-offs that bring others into play, you have a forward whose all-round game deserves far more respect than Giroud gets at times.